Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-01-06
Cattle Disease in Guthrie County.

atlantic Tetegrdph.l
Our reporter obtained the following &C.
count Of the new cattle disease in Guthrie
county from 5. Stewart, V. S., of this city,
who was called to investigate the character
of the very fatal disease which commenced
to destroy the valuable herd Of pure bred
and grade Hereford cattle owned by vii.
liams & Powell of Guthrie Center. Prof.
Stalker, State Veterinary Surgeon, was
there by direction OF the Governor. The
disease proves to be cerebro spinal menen-
gifts. Its symptoms and course in cattle is
quite different IRON that in man and horse.
1t is not frequently met with in cattle, and
there is no description of the disease in
text books or other literature treating of
the diseases Of animals. This malady is
not conta yious, nor does it depend on
uniform set Of surroundings for its devel.
opment Prof Stalker says he has met
with few outbreaks OF this trouble which
occurred at the several seasons Of the year
and under various conditions OF food and
water supply. The disease is self.linited,
rarely affecting many indiv 'a.s ola herd,
when ended on one farm it is no more Ina
bic to appear again on that farm than on
any other farm IN the county. the fol
lowing is a description Of the disease now
affecting the above named herd, but which
appears TO be about ended:
On Thursday night, Dec. 1G, two.year
old grade hefer was observed switching
| her tail very peculiarly, and in a short time
the muscles Of the posterior part of the
body would jerk at short intervals. This
was soon followed by itching or pricking in
| the hind limbs and buttocks which caused
| her to lick, bite or rub the parts iuriously.
She would lie down and get up frequently,
sometimes sitting on her launches ano
sliding backward and forward to rub the
parts. The muscles OF the back became
weak in few hours, and she was unable
| to Use again. Yet the irritating sensations
| in the hind limbs continued SO annoying
that she would roll from one side to the
other over the sternum, ana lick or bite
her hind ieet and legs. The power to co
this was soon lost, the muscles of the top
Of the neck drawing her head over nearly
to her back. She now laid on her side,
continuing to moan and jerk all over until
death ended all in about thirteen hours af
ter the first symptoms appeared. The
! ~ he
pended from the beginning, the respiration
was very rapid, the pulse very rapid and
feeble, but the fever not very high. The
power to swallow was normal till near the
last, but she was not seen to regurgitate
and chew any food after first taken. Sat
urday morning year.old hefer was
attacked, presented the same symptoms,
and died Sunday at p. m. Sunday
morning found two 2.yearold grade nett.
ers presenting the initial symptoms. They
lived respectively thirty and thirty. five
hours. Sunday evening pure bred COW
six years old began 10 show signs of this
dread disease. It terminated fatally in
forty hours. The same evening 3-year-
old grade heifer was attacked. Under a
different line of treatment this one lived
until Friday morning, when she was killed
for post norton examination. The seventh
one attacked was 7-year old pure bred
COW on Wednesday evening, which, when
last seen by the doctor, was following the
same line Of symptoms as the preceding
cases, though much modified bv medical
treatment. Post mortem examination re
vealed Inflammation Of the covering mem
branes Of the brain and spinal cord (witl
J softening of the spinal cord in some cases
as the most pronounced pathological con
; ditions. Other vital organs were second
= arily involved by the great disturbance il
2 the governing center OIL life, the brain anC
cord